The following description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed invention, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
Internal combustion engines have been around since early nineteenth century. Even with the increasing popularity of hybrid and electric cars, internal combustion engines are still the main driving force of a majority of today's vehicles.
In an internal combustion engine (ICE) system, a mixture of fuel (e.g., gasoline) and gas (e.g., oxygen) is injected into a combustion chamber. Upon ignition, the mixture combusts and produces gases (usually contains steam, carbon dioxide, and other chemicals) in very high temperature. As the gases expand due to high temperature, they generate a force that drives the moving parts (e.g., pistons) of the engine. In short, the ICE system produces power by transferring chemical energy that is stored in the fuel-air mixture to thermal energy.
However, even though ICEs have been in existence for a long period of time, they have never attained high efficiency levels. In fact, most ICEs in cars being produced today are only about 25% to 30% efficient (total thermal efficiency). Inefficiency of an ICE is usually caused by incomplete combustion of fuel, which also results in emission of harmful gases such as carbon dioxide and soot. As such, improvements to the ICE's efficiency would reduce both fuel consumption and air pollution.
Efforts have been made in the past to improve the efficiency of ICE systems. Several patent literatures, including U.S. Pat. No. 8,291,891 to Francis et al. entitled “EGR System with Dedicated EGR cylinders”, filed Jun. 17, 2008, U.S. patent publication 2012/0266594 to Christmann entitled “Internal Combustion Engine”, filed Dec. 14, 2010, and U.S. patent publication 2012/0285426 to Hayman et al. entitled “Intake Manifold Assembly for Dedicated Exhaust Gas Recirculation”, filed May 10, 2011 and others, disclose the use of exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) techniques to reduce loss of thermal energy and to reduce formation of harmful gases within the combustion system.
In a more sophisticated effort, U.S. Pat. No. 7,487,764 to Lee entitled “Pre-ignition Fuel Treatment System”, filed Feb. 21, 2008 discloses a pre-ignition fuel treatment system that improves combustibility and reduction of by-products produced by cracking and ionizing the fuel in a reactor vessel before entering into the combustion chamber. In addition, Lee further discloses the use of high temperature, high pressure environment of the engine's exhaust gases to create a reaction zone in which the hydrocarbon molecules of the fuel are cracked.
However, even with EGR and pre-ignition fuel treatment techniques, the efficiency of ICE has still yet to reach an optimal level. Thus, there is still a need to improve on existing ICE systems to further improve efficiency and reduce emission of harmful by-products.
All publications herein are incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication or patent application were specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference. Where a definition or use of a term in an incorporated reference is inconsistent or contrary to the definition of that term provided herein, the definition of that term provided herein applies and the definition of that term in the reference does not apply.
In some embodiments, the numbers expressing quantities of ingredients, properties such as concentration, reaction conditions, and so forth, used to describe and claim certain embodiments of the invention are to be understood as being modified in some instances by the term “about.” Accordingly, in some embodiments, the numerical parameters set forth in the written description and attached claims are approximations that can vary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained by a particular embodiment. In some embodiments, the numerical parameters should be construed in light of the number of reported significant digits and by applying ordinary rounding techniques. Notwithstanding that the numerical ranges and parameters setting forth the broad scope of some embodiments of the invention are approximations, the numerical values set forth in the specific examples are reported as precisely as practicable. The numerical values presented in some embodiments of the invention may contain certain errors necessarily resulting from the standard deviation found in their respective testing measurements.
As used in the description herein and throughout the claims that follow, the meaning of “a,” “an,” and “the” includes plural reference unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Also, as used in the description herein, the meaning of “in” includes “in” and “on” unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
The recitation of ranges of values herein is merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range. Unless otherwise indicated herein, each individual value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g. “such as”) provided with respect to certain embodiments herein is intended merely to better illuminate the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element essential to the practice of the invention.
Groupings of alternative elements or embodiments of the invention disclosed herein are not to be construed as limitations. Each group member can be referred to and claimed individually or in any combination with other members of the group or other elements found herein. One or more members of a group can be included in, or deleted from, a group for reasons of convenience and/or patentability. When any such inclusion or deletion occurs, the specification is herein deemed to contain the group as modified thus fulfilling the written description of all Markush groups used in the appended claims.